Sunday, March 30, 2008

and a beautiful weekend we had. One of the highlights of my weekend were lots of phone calls from family, and MSN chatting with lots of people.

Saturday night was a wonderful night of laughing with all my heart and having a ton of fun with 5 other ladies. I was invited to Jill's place for crafts and nibbles as a sort of thank you for helping with her mom's awesome birthday party... which, in itself was totally awesome...and NO THANKS was necessary... I was thankful to be a part of it. BUT, I wasn't going to turn down a chance to spend an evening with such fantastic women. In respect for National "Earth Hour",we spend from 8:00-9:00pm in darkness around the table, which was lit by kerosene lanterns. We enjoyed a full hour of BANANAGRAM which is a new game out that we got addicted to at Easter, when I bought the game for Stephanie and Sean (in desperation, when I couldn't find a kite that I thought would be fun for them). After they left (with their game) I went out the next day and bought our own. I brought it to work to show my friends and we played a game at lunch...which lead to Jill buying it that day. she and her family have been playing it after supper. Terry plays it by himself and tonight we played against each other and when we "Peeled" we took two tiles instead of one. 144 tiles... one at a time.... long game. Then Terry did an entire crossword himself while I watched TV.... taking 5 tiles at a time (after the first 21) When he was finally done his big project, I checked his work and he had spelled Broccoli wrong (I think I may have lead him astray on that word, since he asked me how to spell it and I really wasn't paying attention when I spelled it back to him)... anyway, he had to revamp his entire crossword to correct it... but he did it....

Oh, now I have gotten right off track. So, after the lights came back on at Jill's, we started our crafts by folding a card box and then made three adorable cards.... Jill is so amazing in her creativity and color sauvy.... I am in complete and total awe and admiration of her. How lucky am I to have Jilly in my life. The pictures do not do these cards justice because you can't see that the birthday card opens in the middle, or the polka dot card has a slide out card in it, and the pink card is embossed!!! They are amazing cards...

I haven't laughed so much in ages and it was a wonderful night and definitely, we need to get together more often... Griff, Pat, Taryn, Jill and Sara.....Thanks for all the fun & the yummy nibbles. I won't mention the strawberries and dark chocolate sauce, the peanut butter frozen cake thing, or the cream dips with bread and chips.... nope, not gonna talk about those things.

Thursday, March 27, 2008

#1.... found my retainer... but not before I got the new one. Yup. I called my dentist on Tuesday to tell her my dog ate my retainer... and they squeezed me in right away to get a new mold taken so she could make me an "invisible" retainer, to hold my teeth in place while I wait for the arrival of "the wire" for behind my teeth. But, the good news is when I got to my dentist late in the day, the wire, along with an invisible retainer arrived in the afternoon mail that was made for me from the mold taken 2 weeks ago. She crammed that sucker on my teeth and I gagged and spit all though curling that night, and slept well. The next day it worked pretty good at school.

This morning, Terry found my retainer...... right in the middle of the living room floor. Yup. All the wires were broke and two small chunks broke off the ends and a nasty snag picked out of the top as well. It didn't exactly look like it had been chewed, but more like it had been stepped on! So....... where was it all this time, and who put it in the middle of the living room floor during the night. Both Dad and Mollie are pointing at each other in blame, and Terry swears he found it right in the middle of the floor, so he didn't possibly steal it in the first place. I don't know, I suspect all of them.....

Anyway, I wear my plastic teeth cup until next Monday and then its wire time.

#2 - Flooring is here. Safe and sound and beautiful. It is a wonderful color and we made sure that it matched the cat perfectly!

Our old dressers will be going to Michelle and scott for their new place, but they thought they might like to repaint them. Soooooo.... on Saturday (my favorite day, while I was off shopping with Mick and Steph) Scott, Sean and Terry worked their buns off and stripped, sanded and painted the tall dresser... great results. In the picture, you can see the brown long dresser, in its original state, and the new black one beside it! I can't even tell you how cold it was for them outside, in the garage with the big door open... brrrrrrr

A kitty cat in kitty bliss......Soaking up the sun in a cardboard box.... priceless

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Easter Saturday was no different. We had a big day planned. Michelle, who is planning her wedding for July 2009, had decided on a dress via the Internet and I thought before she gets her hopes on one style, she should go to a dress shop and have some fun trying on some dresses. This event was to be just one of our many tasks of the day.

Michelle woke up and nothing seems to be right. She couldn't get her hair to do what she wanted, her favorite "Saturday" clothes were still not dry from last nights' laundry and she all of sudden got the weepies about going to a "high pressure" wedding dress store where the ladies would be cut throat and judgemental. (Too much of the TLC "Say yes to the Dress") After a little reassurance that "trying on the dresses" certainly did not have to happen today... she felt better and agreed that we can at least go to a couple of shops to check out things.

Our first stop was a little shop in Windsor. After discovering that we had to take our shoes off before ascending the stairs to the bridal shoppe, we had to turn around and go to the drug store next door and buy some socks for little ole Mick as she arrived in "flats" and bare feet!!! We searched around the boutique but found that the dresses were squeezed into cabinets and in order to see a dress, you had to pull it out and when you did, it left you with a feeling of "disturbing the whole store". Michelle had a clear vision of what she wanted so we started looking for that particular type and found only one that we liked. The shop was fairly busy and with no change rooms available, and very busy ladies, we decided to come back later after a bite to eat. On the way out, a clerk make a "high pressure" comment about not waiting too long to pick out a dress and that left us all feeling like we didn't want to go back. At lunch, we agreed that today was not the day for trying on dresses and we would get on with the rest of our errands in the city.

On our way past Lower Sackville, I mentioned the little dress shop that my good friend Kay had told me about and Michelle agreed to give it a look. Of course, we had no address and no idea where we would find it, but alas it wasn't that hard to find. When we entered it was nothing I expected. A little shop full to the ceiling with prom dresses, one wall of Wedding dresses and a nice little area set aside for changing. Immediately, upon entering the store, we were greeted by a very friendly young lady who made us laugh and broke the ice right away. She chatted up Michelle, and giggled while showing us some sweet dresses. She listened to what Michelle had to say, and she made her the focus. She showed Michelle some of her favorite dresses and begged Michelle to try on certain ones... Michelle had a ball (after her initial panic when the girl ASSUMED that Michelle was trying on dresses), and proceeded to pile up a change room with big flouncy dresses. Off Michelle went with her, and had a ball. They even allowed us to take pictures. There is one dress we didn't get a picture of and it was the same dress Michelle wanted to try at the other store. It was equally as sweet as all the rest. Below are all the dresses! Yup. Michelle wants your comments.... imagine... she is so excited for everyone to see some of her favorites.

Cupcake- 3 pics, Front, Back and With a Veil

Simple, exactly the style she wanted, fits like a glove

Slanty-

(ok, we made up most of the names to help us remember which dress was which)

This one bustles well, has a little tulle in the front and fit perfect.

Mermaid, side slant

perfect fit, gauzing tulle skirt (not white, sort of light cream)

Sparkly Princess Dress

lovely train, very sparkly, not her size, most expensive in the store, hee hee

Halter Styletoo big for her, but just to try it on. We didn't like this one too much.

Green Wedding Dress... yes, a green one... what a hoot....

fit perfect, and a lovely green, goes well with Tartan....just how non-traditional is Michelle willing to go

So, that is it. Like I said, the other one we didn't get a picture of was one of my favorites, and maybe we will try that one again sometime. Leave comments for Michelle either on my blog or her facebook. It was a fun day. Even Stephanie had fun. We checked out some bridesmaids dress styles and even talked about other pending weddings.

After they warmed up, and over shouted each other on the most frustrating/turn funny parts, then started laughing about all the funny things that went wrong... and suddenly, everything turned out to be.... "A fun day"We had "no way am I going up that driveway.... to that house" and then drive back and forth up a country road reading the GPS and saying.... ok.... its gotta be that place... but they were worried about a someone coming after them with a rifle.....pretty creepy house... oh their dad has the strangest sense of humor!Then, we had..... going to Jill's.... yeahhhhh, oh wait, Jill says.... wrong house!... Thank God for Jill sending them off in the right direction. Of course, they completely ignored the GPS telling them to go to the FRONT of the house, so they immediately went to the back of the "Stranger" house (that would be Jill's sister's house) and searched around the back yard. Jill purposely plotted the GPS coordinates so that they would avoid the backyard "puppy poop mine field" and like great game players, the whole family did not interfere but instead watched out the windows as they searched the yard. Scott finally decided to read the GPS and it took him right to the treasure.!And then the best was the last. They parked the car, and began tromping around in the big back yard of the house they were nearest. After several minutes (which included Scott getting "thorned" and Michelle getting a major soaker, a curious gentleman and his dog came out of the house to ask these 4 young people (wearing bunny ears) if he could help them. Scott immediately asked him if he knew "Terry Peters" and when he responded "No?!?"... Michelle offered up an explanation of a GPS Easter Hunt which, at the mention of GPS, got the gentleman all warmed up and jolly as he watched 4 very embarrassed bunnies bound down the drive way.Now, to be fair... Terry put in the WRONG coordinates TOTALLY, because he had them way off the original site, but after 3 phone calls... they found the LAST treasure and were bounding home safe and sound.They arrived home, and piled out of the car with armfuls of loot and had to endure the final giggles of a little boy and his mom walking down the road and hearing.... Look Mom, they have bunny ears on!!!!! All turned out well, and all was forgiven and forget it.... no more GPS Easter Hunts... next year... ummmmm..... I don't know, but no more GPS!We had a non traditional Easter Supper of Ribs, Wings, Devilled Eggs, Italian Potato Melts, Bean beans and Asparagus... with baked apple slices over ice cream for dessert. Hours of chatting after supper and then almost two hours of Dice and Bananagram.... and its now time for bed.

Ok, this year was too long. They aren't home yet, but Terry and I figure that this year was too long and we figured that out after the third "lost" phone call. Terry went from giggles, to worry, to downright "feeling bad". But they are on the way home... they are in the woods at the last location and the GPS master hid the last treasure fairly out in the open.... who knows. Pictures from one of the stops.....Oh, and on the last stop.... we heard from Mick via the phone that they had gone in a country driveway and started wandering around the back yard and was totally lost, until the home owner came out and questioned what they were doing in his yard... ugh.... wrong yard. Oh no.... can't wait to hear that story.... Terry is beside himself with "blahs"... tooooooo long this time.

Let me begin with my Friday Mystery. At lunch on Friday, I sat with dad down in his TV room, in the big red chair, and enjoyed my sandwich while watching "The Price is Right", my Dad's noon hour ritual.. I took out my retainer and sat it on the arm of my chair. During my lunch, Terry calls me to the phone because my sister in law called me (long distance). After a few minutes on the phone, a few more minutes making the tea, a few more minutes putting dishes in the dishwasher, a few more minutes sitting with Terry..... I realized I didn't have my retainer in, and scooted down stairs to deliver the tea, and scoop my retainer. It wasn't there, and I checked my pockets.... not there either. Bounced upstairs, and looked in my usual hiding spot in the kitchen... not there. Invited Terry in on the search, and even Dad got into looking. The only one who didn't seem too interested in looking was ....... you got it..... the dog. Its been 3 days of looking and..... we have come to the conclusion... that my dog ate my retainer.... yup. You wonder why I bring that up today.... Easter Sunday.... A day of rejoicing in Jesus rising up from the dead.

Well, it is also a day of Easter Egg Hunt Day in our house. An annual tradition around here, which has had to take a different direction of hunting for the past 7 or 8 years because we have a very smart dog. She is a disaster to any Easter Egg Hunt and we have had to be creative in our "hiding" of the treasure.

This year, we have brought the newest technology into the game and have provided our victims with two GPS's and one GPS coordinate. (hidden in the one basket that sat upon the table, filled with 4 of everything (you know traditional eggs, little bunnies).

And off they went.... wearing their Easter bunny ears and driving down the highway about 50 km to find the first treasure in a farm field under a tree (belonging to a friend of Terry's). We have had several phone calls home filled with confusion and frustration and then ultimate victory at finding the first package. When they opened it..... they found a prize and a new coordinate!! After each phone call, the laughter and excitement coming out of their father and grandfather is almost more fun than the search itself!! The first property belongs to a tech friend of Terry's and therefore we have pictures of 4 very confused little bunnies wandering his back 40 with two GPS's. The first is Stephanie leading the wanderers in the bitter Easter cold and the second is 4 very cold but victorious bunnies....

Saturday, March 22, 2008

It has been a while since I have updated and I am not even sure why. Once March Break hit, I seem to have pretty full days and you know when you get to a point where you have too much to blog about...then you just don't blog at all. Then like Jill says, it becomes too much pressure to blog... blah blah blah... Fresh Start

Easter is here, and for the first Easter ever I have both kids home and both of their mates. So far we have had a great meal, yummy snacks and two games of dice. Sean won both games in is shy non competitive way. He just smiles his million dollar smile when he wins..... a true athlete. hee hee.

Saturday... today.... we are off to the city (the girls are) to run a couple of errands. First to the Bead Pod to help Grace design a bracelet that she can make to sell to her friends and mine, to help her with her goal of raising $2000 for Breast Cancer. Terry's sister Kim and her daughter (my God daughter) Grace will be participating in the "Weekend to End Breast Cancer" in August. They are participating in memory of our dear friend and Aunt Sherry who passed away 2 years ago. Also in celebration of Kim's dad, Frank who has a clean bill of health after a very long year of battling cancer. Check out their website here.. Some of the ideas we have come up with to help them raise their money is some nice bead bracelets and cool book marks. Grace has purchased some stamping supplies to make some cute little notecards to sell as well. I am sewing oatbags to sell as well, so we will help her any way we can. Its a wonderful thing to commit to a big project, especially when its for such a great cause. If anyone has any ideas to help Grace with her $2000 goal (oh, and Kim has to raise $2000 as well), just let us know, we can use all the suggestions we can get.Well, I am off to round up the girls and head to the city..... and I will blog when I get home!!!

Sunday, March 9, 2008

Scotty got a hair cut.. So cute. And even cuter is he got lessons from Michelle on how to make it look extra cool. As you will remember, Scott has dyed Michelle's hair for her on numerous occasions and even highlights so this is just returning the favor.

For the second time this winter we have had heavy rains for a few days and with the ground still frozen, there is just no where for the water to drain. There is a walking path from our subdivision to the subdivision that is on the other side of the river and that path is flooded... and those waters are the trouble makers for our neighbours across the street... they just keep rising. Above is the path to the walking bridge. It has been raised up so it doesn't flood. Once you turn the corner to the walking bridge....nothing... but.....fast movin' water. You can't really make it to the bridge, but you can see our quiet babbling river has risen to the rails of the bridge. The duckpond is so full it has spilled over into the parking lot. This is the second time for this in less than a month. Rocknotch is starting to flood which is a little country road that leads up the mountain. It has a little One Lane Bridge over the little river we have in our subdivision, and the river has over flowed into the farm fields and is now edging up to the road...And anyone who lives around here knows that we judge the water level by the height of the water in "Lake Sometimes". This mystical lake is really a marshy green field that is located right on the border of two little villages. In the early years, this marshy field that lined the Annapolis River was a lush campground, quite popular with long term campers. But when the power plant was built 100 km up the road (in the 60's), it disrupted the natural flow of the river (so the elders say) and since then lush field has become a marshy field and when the river is high, the lake arrives. I drive past "Lake Sometimes" every day on my way to work along with thousands of other people, and we all still marvel when the waters rise high enough to threaten the road. That has happened only twice since I have lived in this community. Pictured below is the lake, taken from next door to buddy's driveway, who lives on the marsh and whose home is always surrounded by the lake during the rainy season... One has to wonder why he lives there and what his basement must be like! You can see his driveway has disappeared under the water.

Saturday, March 8, 2008

On the last Sunday of February, Russian women began a strike for "bread and peace" in response to the death over 2 million Russian soldiers in war. Opposed by political leaders the women continued to strike until four days later the Czar was forced to abdicate and the provisional Government granted women the right to vote. The date the women's strike commenced was Sunday 23 February on the Julian calendar then in use in Russia. This day on the Gregorian calendar in use elsewhere was 8 March.

International Women's Day celebrated today 8 March, is the global day connecting all women around the world and inspiring them to achieve their full potential. IWD celebrates the collective power of women past, present and future.

I never forget that March 8th is International Women's Day.... not because I am consciencious of such a powerful day... but because it was the day we lost a very powerful woman... my mom.

We still miss you every day mom, but your strength, sense of humor, and many other traits live proudly in your kids and grandkids and great grandkid!

Friday, March 7, 2008

Ok, so the good news is.... I won on the lottery. My group that I am with (60 of us) had a mitt full of tickets on the "millionaire lottery" where you can win a million a year for 25 years. I am so excited to tell you that we won. Yup. $20. That equals .33 each. Not back for a $2 investment. As far as lotteries go....

Ok, so the other good news is.... my dad won the lottery too. I just got his ticket checked tonight at the pharmacy.. and the sweet sound of dododa rang out... yup... winner... $2.00. How exciting. Not bad for a $3 investment.....

Ok, so the other good news is...... two of my co-workers won in a group their hubbys were in that won 2.5 million!!!! Now that is really exciting. The group is 22 strong, and after a little bit of controversy (which you missed Chantal!!!... cause your not here!!).. each member of the group walks away with $96,000. How exciting is that. OK, so that is really good news. That is a sweet amount to win cause its just enough for most people to pay of debts, buy a couple of treats and then relax and enjoy their job and their family and they regular paycheck without all the debt hangin' over their heads.

so, there are three big winners in my week... and I am now going out to buy a few more tickets... cause this girl is gonna have her kayaks this year.... I am ready.

I have started my spring routine of walking each morning. I am enjoying them even though it is very cold, but there is no snow on the roads to contend with, and I am very grateful for that. And to make myself even more "grateful" I am tuned into Tony Robbins "Daily Magic" which is a audio Mp3 that is soooooo upbeat and energizing, that you can't help but put a bounce in your step when your listening to him. Mollie is a little stiff and sore, because we really clip along, but she will loosen up once she gets in better shape.

March break is a time for me to rest, relax and rejuvenate. Those are the only 3 "R"s I plan on attempting this week. Well, and the list of 20 things I would like to get done... but the 3 Rs are my priority.Pet Pictures... sorry... just so cute.!!